Aggies vs. UMass Minutemen: Opponent Preview
Coming off of tough matchups with Auburn, Florida, and Ole Miss, the Texas A&M Aggies should have a bit of a breather when they welcome the UMass Minutemen to Kyle Field on Nov. 19.
The Minutemen will welcome a new head coach in Don Brown, who makes his way over from Arizona where he was the defensive coordinator for five seasons. UMass will be his first head coaching experience in the FBS.
Brown will have his work cut out for him, as the Minutemen have lots of room for improvement on both sides of the ball. Almost every aspect of the game needs help from the 2021 squad that went 1-11 as an independent.
UMass also welcomes 12 total returning starters, including six on the offensive side of the ball. Three of those returning starters will occupy the offensive line, giving Brown a little bit of consistency up front.
On defense, the Minutemen will return five starters, including pass rusher Billy Wooden, linebacker Gerrell Johnson, and strong safety Te'Rai Powell.
Stick with AllAggies.com as we preview the matchup between UMass and Texas A&M throughout the week.
UMass Minutemen
2021 Record: 1-11 (Independent)
Head coach: Don Brown
Brown is entering his first season as the head coach at UMass.
Offensive Set: Spread
New offensive coordinator Steve Casula is also running the quarterbacks, and it's a shaky situation. Look for the Minutemen to keep the ball on the ground in 2022 as that was the only part of the offense last season that wasn't abysmal.
Last season, UMass ranked tied at No. 126 in the nation in scoring, No. 79 in rushing, No. 123 in passing, and No. 123 in total offense.
Projected starters on Offense:
QB Zamar Wise
RB Ellis Merriweather
WR Jermaine "OC" Johnson Jr.
WR George Johnson III
WR Rico Arnold
TE Josiah Johnson
LT Max Longman
LG Xavier Graham
C Josh Atwood
RG Ethan Mottinger
RT Jonny Hassard
Defensive Set: 4-3
Brown is a defensive-minded coach, and he and defensive coordinator Keith Dudzinsky will need some immediate improvement on that side of the ball to be competitive in 2022.
Last season, UMass finished 130th nationally in scoring defense, 126th in rushing defense, 100th in passing defense, and 125th in overall defense.
Projected starters on Defense:
DE Billy Wooden
NT Cletus Mathurin
DT Jonathan Martin
DE Marcus Bradley
LB Jalen Stewart
LB Gerrell Johnson
LB Zukudo Igwenagu
CB Jordan Mahoney
CB Josh Wallace
SS Te'Rai Powell
FS Tyler Rudolph
You can follow Timm Hamm on Twitter @IndyCarTim
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